Rocky (film, 1976)

Rocky is a American Film , written by Sylvester Stallone, carried out in 1976 by John G. Avildsen.

Synopsis

November 1975, Philadelphia. Rocky Balboa works for Tony Gazzo, an usurer, and disputes time with other, for a few tens of dollars, of the boxing matches under the name of " the Italien" Standard;. However, Mickey, its old trainer, drops it, and his/her friend Paulie, who works in a cold store, encourages Rocky to leave with his sister Adrian, a young reserved saleswoman of a store of pets.

During this time, the championship of the world of boxes category heavy truck is planned for the day of the new year 1976, year of the bicentenary of the United States. When the challenger n°1 of the unconquered champion Apollo Creed is wounded, the contractor of the combat seeks a new adversary to give the title concerned but the majority of the champions refuse to be measured in Creed.

The idea of a match against a local boxer of Philadelphia is born then. Decided to give a chance to gain the championship of the world of the heavy trucks to a boxer amateur of second zone (while being however sure of its own victory), Apollo Creed chooses Rocky Balboa, a false leg - i.e. a left-handed person - of which the nickname of " The standard italien" amuses.

To prepare with the combat, Rocky takes for trainer the ex-boxer of the Twenties, Mickey Goldmill, which however had just thrown it its room of drive little time before. As for his best friend Paulie, it lets it strike meat carcasses in the warehouse where it works.

During its drive, Rocky flirte with the discrete sister of Paulie. The night before the match, Rocky entrusts to Adrian which he does not hope to beat Creed, but all that he wants is to hold the distance against the champion in title, to hold the 15 rounds against him.

At the beginning, Creed takes the combat with light, thinking of making only one mouthful of the amateur. But the boxer amateur the met with the carpet as of the first round and the match intensifies. At the end of the 15 rounds, each boxer is exténué and suffers from many wounds. Apollo Creed nevertheless is announced victorious by decision of the judges.

producer

The original concept of Rocky and its main character was inspired in Sylvester Stallone by a combat between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. The idea that an unknown boxer holds the whole match and against all the hopes interests Stallone. It thus begins the writing of the scenario Paradise Alley . After the reading of script, the producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff ask to meet it. The American actor exposes then his concept of Rocky , which impresses Chartoff. The two men decide to financially support Stallone so that it finalizes this scenario, with the insurance which they would be the first to see it once finished.

The studio thinks of proposing film with stars established such as Burt Reynolds or James Caan, inter alia. Stallone is opposed to it, requiring that one give him a chance to shine inside. He will affirm later that it would never have forgiven oneself if the film had met same success with someone else with the poster. He knows that the contract of Winkler and Chartoff with the studio enables them to launch a project if the budget is rather weak.

Certain elements of the history are changed during turning. At the beginning, the tone of film was to be darker, Mickey being depicts like a racist. Even the end was different, Rocky was to give up the combat after having realized that he did not want to form part of the world of professional boxing.

The Steadicam of Garrett Brown is used to film for the scene of the rise of the steps. It is also used for certain plans of the scenes as combat. It can be besides seen with the first cabins during the final match. Rocky is often quoted by error like first film to use this technique of camera but the first production to use it is On the way for glory (1976) of Hal Ashby. For the final scene, the sequences are recorded in the inverse order, the actors starting heavily made up and the Box Office Magazine affirms that the public could be … tried to see Sylvester (Sly) Stallone like new a star . However, Vincent Canby of the NewYork Times calls it one pure tradition to make the Thirties and calls into question qualities of actor of Stallone and those of realizer of Avildsen.

More than 30 years after the exit, the film enjoys a reputation traditional and receives criticisms still regularly positive.

The opinion of the online site BBC Films , associating that of the critic Almar Haflidason and a vote of the Net surfers, is a note of 5 stars out of 5. In the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die of Steven Jay Schneider, the author explains that the film is sometimes perceived like goose grease .

In 2006, the film is selected to be preserved in the National Film American Registry.

Rewards

Oscar of the best film, the better realizer and the Better assembly in 1977. This film was also named in 7 other categories: better actor (Sylvester Stallone), better actress (Talia Shire), best supporting roles (Burgess Meredith & Burt Young), better song, better sound & better original screenplay (Sylvester Stallone).

In 1977, Rocky receives 10 nominations with the Academy Awards in 9 distinct categories, empochant 3 victories:

  • Oscar of the best film (Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler) ( victory )
  • better realizer (John G. Avildsen) ( victory )
  • Better assembly (Richard Halsey and Scott Conrad) ( victory )
  • Better actor: Sylvester Stallone
  • Better actress: Talia Shire
  • Best supporting roles: Burgess Meredith and Burt Young
  • Better song: Bill Conti, Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins for Gonna Fly Now
  • Better sound: Harry W. Tetrick, William L. McCaughey, Lyle J. Burbridge and Bud Alper
  • Better original screenplay: Sylvester Stallone

Rocky also appears in various classifications of the American Film Institute:

  • Signal 100 of American Film Institute:
    • number 78 in the classification of best films published in 1998
    • number 57 in the classification published in 2007
  • Signal 100 of the counterparts of the American cinema according to American Film Institute: , number 80
  • Signal 100 of the heroes and malicious of the American cinema according to American Film Institute: Rocky Balboa, number 7

The year of his exit, the trade union of the American realizers off rewards Rocky like better film at the time of his Directors Guild America Award for 1976. In 2006, the original screenplay of Rocky is classified 78ère better scenario of all times by the Writers Guild off America, trade union of the American authors.

Box Office

The film, carried out with only one budget of 1,2 million $, is put limps about it quickly, in 28 days. But its receipts with the box American office rise to 117,2 million dollars, which makes of him the most profitable film of all the saga.

Original soundtrack

The Original soundtrack of Rocky' is composed by Bill Conti. The main theme Gonna Fly Now remains number 1 of the Billboard Hot 100 during one week (from July 2nd to July 8th, 1977). And according to the classification of the best film songs established by the American Film Institute, the title is 58ème.

The whole original soundtrack arises in 1988.

Data sheet

Distribution

Influence

Steps of Rocky

The famous scene of Rocky running to assemble the steps of the Philadelphia Museum off Art became a cultural icon. In 1982, a statue of the character, posed by Stallone for the turning of Rocky III , is put in top of the steps. Dick Doran affirms that Stallone and Rocky made more for the image of the city than no matter who since Franklin Ben .

The scene is regularly parodied in the media. In the episode I' m Spelling ace Fast ace I Edge of the Simpsons , LISA Simpson runs until in top while carrying the same kind of track suit as that of Rocky.

At the time of the relai of the Olympic flame of the Olympic Games of summer of 1996, Dawn Staley, originating in Philadelphia, is selected to run in top of the steps.

Other films and media

With an aim of surfer on the wave of Rocky , the erotic film of 1970 Party At Kitty and Stud' S comes out little from time after Rocky under the title of the Italian Standard ( The Italian Stallion ), in reference to the nickname of Balboa. This film puts in scene Sylvester Stallone at 24 years for its first film.

Five continuations succeed the first Rocky . The first, Rocky II (1979), watch Rocky Balboa to return for a revenge against Apollo Creed. This film joins together the whole casting of the first episode and collected more than 200 million dollars throughout the world.

A new character integrates the universe in Rocky III , left in 1982. Clubber Lang, interpreted by Mr. T, is young arrogant boxer who defies blasé Rocky. The Soviet character of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) appears in Rocky IV (1985). Realized in 1990, Rocky V differs from the remainder of the saga, Rocky Balboa not being more professional. He became the trainer of Tommy Gunn, played by the true boxer Tommy Morrison. The film is also the first to install Robert Balboa, the son of Rocky, as a main character. The last opus of wise the Rocky is Rocky Balboa , left in 2006. Stallonne plays there a 59 years old Rocky which sees the chance to dispute a match against the champion in title, Mason Dixon. It is Antonio Tarver, bronze medal of boxing (cruiser weight category) with the Olympic Games of summer of 1996 which lends its features to him.

Anecdotes

  • the scenario presents many similarities with that of film of Robert Wise Marqué by hatred . For as much, Sylvester Stallone forever recognized to have written a remake.

The series

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